A new feature will be added to YouTube for a much more convenient experience, especially if viewers want to search for their favorite creators easily.
BERLIN, GERMANY - OCTOBER 05: A man walks past a billboard advertisement for YouTube on October 5, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. YouTube has established itself as the biggest global platform for online video presentations.
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YouTube Handles
In an announcement from their own blog, YouTube introduced handles which is, according to them, "A new way for people to easily find and engage with creators and each other on YouTube."
Both YouTube Channels and Shorts will be adopting this new feature to make the platform consistent and recognizable. All of the users (creators and viewers) will claim their own unique handles, with no exceptions. As reported by The Verge, it will be rolling out gradually and will start this week with a sent notification from the platform.
9To5Google also reported that alongside the identification and branding of the creator, this new feature would make it easy for their subscribers to mention them in comments, community posts, and video descriptions. Through this, it may increase its visibility and reach with new markets.
Rolling Out Process
Users and creators will now be using a "@username" format, which is what the other platforms are using, like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Once the handle has been made, a matching URL (youtube.com/@handle) will also be created for users.
As per the company, the first batch of users who will have the opportunity to provide a username will be based on several factors, such as overall presence on the platform, subscriber count, and channel activity.
YouTube stated that "We want to ensure creators can craft an identity as unique as their content, while giving viewers the confidence that they are interacting with their favorite creators." For several users who are still confused about how this new feature works, the company provided a FAQ section on the Google Support website.
This picture taken in Moscow on March 19, 2022 shows logos of Youtube social media on a smartphone screen. - Russia's regulator on Friday accused the US giant Google and its video service YouTube of "terrorist" activities, the first step towards a possible blocking of the site as Twitter, Instagram and several media outlets have been in recent weeks. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
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A report from TechCrunch stated that this move from YouTube is one of the strategies of the platform as they expand its features to compete with TikTok. Several updates for YouTube Shorts have been recently made that were very similar to their competitor's features.
One of these is the voiceover narration feature, where users may add audio over one's upload. According to an announcement in Google Support, text-to-speech was also added that uses an AI voice to determine what the users are saying.
